Monsters Disguises Suck

It wasn't Aiden's habit, nor was it one of his favorite, to get away from Camp. It was dangerous, and infinitely risky. He always thought about the odds of survival, and if his calculations were correct...50-50. Like on usual runs, he brought Lavixifous with him, sheathed and strapped to his back. The demigod wore a red t-shirt, under a leather jacket. His blue jeans were somewhat darkened, from the weathering effects. Or something similar. He wore combat boots, and he had his armor on over the rest of the clothing. It had multiple compartments, so it was quite handy, actually. He'd took a taxi from Long Island, to downtown Manhattan. On the way he'd passed the Empire State Building. He'd took a quick moment to glance up at Olympus, at least 2000 meters up above him. The demigod remembered the solstice visit, and he also loved the chat with Aphrodite.

Getting out of the taxi, he stopped and sat down at a cafe, because sometimes, random demigods pop up at cafes, so it might be convenient if somebody stumbled upon this place and they would have allies to face whatever danger was coming. Aiden allowed himself to relax, sitting down in the fancy dining armchair, which the owners of the store must have exaggerated over the ratings of his cafe and decided to buy to make the store look like a 5-star-restaurant.

He'd ordered a simple cafe, the most basic type of drink, before looking around, his body in a ready stance in case somebody showed up. Or something.

Valerie shivered as the cold winter winds whipped through her clothing. She pulled the collar of her jacket up, trying to keep the chill out. Her soft hazel hair hidden beneath a dark blue woollen hat, she wore a camp half blood t-shirt, dark grey hoodie and a black winter coat, blue jeans and black walking boots.
Slung over her shoulder was a black kit bag in which Valerie's bow and two dozen arrows were contained. Though the mist would disguise them she preferred to keep them secured in case somehow a mortal saw them and panicked.

The short girl entered a cafe, intending to purchase a hot drink. Valerie pocketed her hat, letting her hair flow free as she unzipped her coat, the warmth of the cafe making her far too hot with all of her winter clothing equipped.
She queued quietly deciding on a hot chocolate with two shots of nectar, maybe three.

Lakisha was waiting in the queue, white headphones running up to her ears. Standing tall and straight, her chin high, she was examining the menu. It was quite chilly outside and she was thinking either an iced tea or a frappé. She glanced over the prices before turning away; it wasn't like money mattered to her and her thoughts were elsewhere anyway. Her father still hadn't messaged her and she was starting to get impatient. They hadn't seen each other for three months! Surely he could send her a little message, even if it was just to say he would be running late.

"An iced black tea," she told the waiter without taking her headphones out and slid a $20 dollar bill from her clutch. She was wearing slim white trousers and a white blouse with a thin silver belt, a navy trench coat over her shoulders.

Aiden's eyes widened. A short figure had entered the cafe, and moved up to the queue. The newcomer didn't look conspicuous, at least not over 50%. But her identity was, most likely, given away with her bow and quiver. Everybody was oblivious about it, so he guessed it must have had the Mist in it's assistance. But demigods can see through the Mist. Taking off the armor to avoid suspicion, he stood up and bolted toward the queue, seconds before a mortal could successfully stand behind the newcomer.

"Heyyyy...nice bow and quiver, whatever your name and god parent is. The god of queues must be super occupied today, right?" he teased, hinting his identity. A couple of others must have heard him, as he intended to say so loudly, but they had no idea what he was implying.

Valerie rolled her eyes, thinking silently that what he just said to her had to be the worst pick up line that she ever heard. "Thanks and you are not one for subtlety are you?" She inquired moving forward in the cue.
"Yes the god of queues must be quite busy today." As must be Aphrodite as these were among the worst pick up lines she had ever heard.

Lakisha heard the guy over her music, which was quite a feat as she was listening to Muse's Unsustainable at a rather high volume. Picking one headphone out of her ear, she turned to the two persons behind her. "Could any of you be any less obvious please?" She asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Oh don't worry. They're oblivious. Guarantee it!" Aiden retorted. "Anyways, you two wanna share the table? The more the merrier." he offered. "Besides it's lonely out here." he admitted. He didn't want to go back and find his old home. His father died anyway. And others didn't want to accompany him.

"They're not oblivious, they simply don't care," Lakisha sighed with an eye roll. "Maybe you should make sure it stays that way." The bartender handed her the iced tea, decorated with a wedge of lime and a sprig of mint. She took it with a thankful nod and turned away to let the next person order. "I'd rather not," she told the kid. "Don't take it personally." And she walked away, finding a nice spot next to the window where she sat down and took out a book.

Valerie had been silent throughout the whole exchange. "Er... She is right you know." Her hot chocolate arrived, complete with an extra shot of nectar. "I'm just going to drink this then head out... Stuff to do and what not." Valerie smiled at him, paying for her drink.

Pius the hardcore Cyclop began serving, passing cups of coffee to each individual in the cafe. It was odd, but the monster hummed a line of Demons - Imagine Dragons. Gotta admit, mortal music was amazing. He was pleasant because three, I repeat, THREE demigods were in the cafe simultaneously, and they quickly split. Fresh lunch! Fresh indeed. He'd chosen his targets carefully: the two girls were threats, but not the boy. He smelled of perfume and his appearance was stunning. Definitely an Aphrodite's child. They were infamous as almost none of them knew combat properly. He was going to kill the Aphrodite demigod first then feast on the others.

Humming the final line of Demons, he'd entered the kitchen and returned to Aiden's seat. "Is this your order?" he extended his hand and showed him the drink. Aiden's mouth was half-opened when the Cyclop sent a straight punch across his face. The demigod was hurled across the room, smashing against the wall and ended up crashing down on the table, flipping it airborne.

"One dead. Two to go." Pius smirked, as the Hyperborean Cyclop began growing in size, his skin growing a thick level of armor. His two eyes disappeared and replaced by a single dark black eye.

The guests began panicking, screaming defiantly and scrambled for the exit. Meanwhile, Aiden began waking up. His endurence surpassed most of his siblings by ten times. He felt coffee spilled over on top of him, and he was pinned down by a square table.

Lakisha's gaze shot up as the punch echoed around the coffee shop, just in time to see the boy from before crashing into the wall. The bartender grew in size until his head grazed the ceiling. His eyes blurred and got replaced by a single one. Cyclops.
She had fought a good number of those, but they were not an easy piece. Despite their looks, they weren't stupid at all, and their strength was enough to make the other monsters give them their space. Dropping her book, she twisted her silver ring on her finger and felt her quiver latch itself to her back while she quickly gathered her hair into a ponytail.

Having crept behind the Cyclops, she stood up on a chair and took aim, firing three arrows at once. But the monster had heard her, thanks to his superhuman hearing, and turned around just in time to catch two of them straight out of the air. The last one dug itself in his forearm, which only made him frown in pain. Lakisha glared at him and swiftly reloaded, shooting two arrows this time.

OOC: Lakisha has barbed arrowheads so if he tries to pull them out, not only will it be quite difficult but it will also pull a lot of flesh out as well.

The punch echoed and suddenly the bar was filled with the sounds of screaming. Valerie fumbled with her bag, struggling to get her bow and quiver free to open fire as well.
For the moment the monster was content to fight the other girl who also possessed a bow. She managed to get both free, slinging her quiver over her shoulder as she notched an arrow, sending it flying. The Cyclops turned around and caught the arrow midflight. Valerie eyes widened with horror, she fumbled with another arrow caught off guard by the fact that the creature reacted so fast.

OOC: Ok. And I named him after Pius Thicknesse lol

BIC: Pius didn't realize the arrow pierced deep in his thick as armor skin. He grabbed the arrow and pulled it out, only to briefly yelp as it pulled his skin along. A gash, large, opened and blood dripped from it. He broke the arrow in two and tossed its remnants away.

"FOOLS!" he bellowed. Putting his grip on the edge of a table, Pius lifted it up with no effort and hurled it straight at the demigod, while his leg kicked, sending another table zooming straight at the other.

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Aiden woke up with his entire body sore, his muscles aching. He'd crawled out under the table and reached for his sword. He knew that their chance of fighting the Cyclop would be low. He was good at improvisation.

Slowly getting up, he'd sprinted across the room and leaped over the counter into the kitchen. Yep, perfect plan.

Lakisha saw the table whirling over to her and immediately threw herself to the side, gripping her bow tightly. She landed painfully on the floor, her head smacking against the tiles. The table had crashed against the wall, broken, chairs tumbling down along with it and she looked back at the Cyclops who was apparently very surprised to see the boy running across the shop. Lakisha herself was bewildered. She had seen him fly into the wall just a minute ago, with a table landing on top of him. He must've broken Zeus knows how many bones. But there he was, scrambling over the counter. Well, ambrosia really did miracles didn't it.

In any case, the element of surprise was good for them.

Lakisha brought her feet underneath her and crouched up, analyzing her options. The Cyclops was strong but it wasn't the first time she fought someone much stronger than her; she'd be fine as long as she knew how to dodge. His speed and agility were worrying though. Let's see how he deals with this, she thought and opened her hand, focusing on the ground. The temperature dropped, the tiles gleamed up. A sheet of ice spread on the floor, smooth like a mirror, crackling softly as it expanded. Lakisha looked at the Cyclops smugly as she notched another arrow. Throw him off balance now, she thought and took aim at the Cyclops' foot, her gaze locked on the soft place between his toes. The arrow left the string with a sharp hiss.

Valerie let out a cry of alarm, diving for cover as the table was sent flying in her direction. It missed but exploded when it impacted against the wall with a heavy thump, showering her with splinters and fragments of wood.
She struggled to get to her feet as the floor was suddenly covered by a layer of ice. After she managed to get her balance, she notched another arrow aiming at the monster before loosing another arrow down range.

Aiden smashed the pipe and it started leaking. Bursts of metan flowed out of it. Switching on the microwave, he set the timer to ten minutes. Aiden loosened the latch, which allows the microwave to automatically open when the timer ends. From then, the effects would be instantaneous. He'd place a few small metal objects in it so that the microwave would explode and the pipes will explode as well, destroying the cafe. (there were pipes under the floor)

The monster attempted to approach Lakisha, but the thin sheet of ice prohibited it. He constantly tripped, and regained balance. From behind him, Aiden leaped up and one of his arms wrapped around the Hyperborean Cyclop.

"ARGHH! GET OFF!!" bellowed Pius, as he tried to reach for Aiden. Aiden continued to look for blind spots, but apparently it was out of sight.

The Cyclops was slipping on the ice, but fortunately the other girl with her bow didn't. Maybe she had done some ice skating before. Lakisha kept firing mercilessly, sometimes her arrows hit, sometimes they just bounced off his tough skin, but it was enough to keep him a bit destabilized.

However when she saw what the pretty kid was doing, a flash of fury engulfed her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she roared, speeding over to the microwave.

Valerie watched the unfolding situation before with growing horror, she fumbled for her next arrow but realised that she was no unable to risk firing a shot without hitting the demigod who decided to grab hold of the monster.
"What are you doing?" She yelled at him, wondering if she could sneak a shot in without hitting him.

Aiden didn't respond. He took out Lavixifous and put it by the Hyperborean's throat. He pulled the sword backwards. It didn't pierce through his neck, with the armor skin, but enough force to drive him back near the kitchen. He looked at his watch briefly. Nine minutes. "Hey! Do me a favor and generate more ice below this guy's feet and lead him to the kitchen!" he called out to the obvious daughter of Khione (with Ice powers), while he attempted to divert the monster from Valerie. He ducked lower to avoid the trajectory of the arrows from her.

-----

"GET OFF!" Pius continued to yelp, resisting the pull. The boy was trying valiantly to slit his throat, but in vain; according to what he thought. Repelling the arrows, he jumped up and smashed his clenched fist down the ice, shattering it completely, whilst creating a ripple which made the floorboards around him a few meters cracked, splinters shooting from the remnants of the once wooden floor.

Lakisha heard him talk to her and squinted. So his plan was to bring the monster to the kitchen when the microwave exploded? …He forgot to pay his brain bill, didn't he.

"IT'S A CYCLOPS!" She shouted at him. "THEY'RE IMMUNE TO FIRE YOU IDIOT!"

She threw open the microwave door and flipped her bow into a dagger to pull out the metal parts as quickly as possible, mouthing a stream of Swedish cuss words. Why were children of Aphrodite always so brain dead?
Glancing up, she saw the Cyclops break the ice and the tiles with one blow of his fist and felt her stomach clenching in apprehension. This one was far tougher than those she had fought before. They were three against him, and all they had managed up till now was to annoy him. They had to change tactics, and fast.

Valerie let a yell when she was struck by the monster's fist more by accident than design as it overbalanced for but a moment. The creature's flailing arm hitting the small demigod hard. She slid across the icy floor and did not rise. Appearing for all intents and purposes, dead...

Oh the gods, he forgot. How could he be so dumb? What if he used it solely for distraction? Leaping from the Cyclop's back, he rolled into the kitchen. "Fine!" Aiden retorted. "I only need a bloody diversion!"

Then he reached for the lighter, coincidentally placed beneath the pipes, on the table. Aiden clicked the lighter, and then he stumbled as the pipe exploded in the kitchen. Fortunately, he calculated how thin the pipes were, so the explosion inside caused no damage.

But the pipes beneath the building exploded. The ground below them shook, as the building began growing fissures. The fissures didn't consume the Cyclop (and fortunately Valerie), but now the Cyclop was distracted. All they have to do is kick him down the fissures which went all the way down the sewers. That would give them time to escape.

"I've got this. Look for a blind spot, and try to kill him. Otherwise fall back after hurling him down the pits. That should slow him down." Aiden instructed, although he was sure Lakisha didn't give a flying f. Then he leaped at the Cyclop, attempting to throw the Cyclop down the fissure.

----------

Pius staggered as the shop exploded underneath him, and the whole place began to collapse. He felt a kick coming from his back and he stumbled forward, balanced himself quickly before he could fall.

"Hah!" he laughed. Then he turned his focus to Aiden.

"Your diversion almost killed us," she hissed back. Then he made the pipes explode. Lakisha had a tough time deciding who to charge, him or the Cyclops. "Are you out of your mind?" She yelled, anger blinding her vision as she grabbed a nearby glass and tossed it in his direction. It exploded against the wall. "The girl's dead, you want to kill both of us as well?"

But her focus quickly went back to the main threat as the Cyclops slammed his fist down on the bar, forcing her to scramble away desperately, but then he made a large swiping motion, which knocked her straight into the window. Her lungs gave up and she slid to the floor, gasping loudly, her eyes bulging as she tried to breathe. A purple vein drew a fork across her forehead. The Cyclops came in for the killing blow. Her eyes webbed with red and her mouth open, she reacted on instinct. Thee girl opened her hand at him, hitting him in the face with the biggest block of ice she could muster before sliding away on all fours, looking for the next best hiding place.

Valerie at first thought that she was in fact dead. Yet her first clue about her still being alive happened to be the piercing cold seeping through her clothing from the floor.
Everything ached, each movement sent lances of fresh pain through her small form. Reluctantly she forced her eyes to open, spotting her bow a few feet from her, Valerie crawled slowly towards the weapon, her training demanding that she armed herself.

Okay, Aiden had messed up today enough. He criticized himself, not to make more mistakes. This time he needed a new plan, something that didn't involve destroying the whole café. He needed to make the Cyclops fall through one of the fissures. "SORRY ABOUT THAT!" Aiden yelled with regret to Valeria. Previously, he was so focused and panicked that he had forgotten she was in the blast zone.

Taking a leap of faith, he jumped over a fissure and rolled, landing next to the fire hose reel. Thank the gods it was operational. Pulling the lock, he ran back to the edge and jumped back to the stable ground that was holding the Cyclops. Then when he turned around, Aiden began spraying at him. The Cyclops didn't budge, but he lost his view. He raised his hand to block the foam, while slashing his hand randomly. Aiden had hoped this would buy the other demigods sometime. Because foams don't hold off a hardcore monster for too long.